


Fa La La Love

by KalluraIcedCoffee



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Neighbors, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 13:12:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17080961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KalluraIcedCoffee/pseuds/KalluraIcedCoffee
Summary: Keith is totally not into Christmas. That is until his cute neighbor Allura asks to spend the holiday with him. Now he has to navigate his feelings and gift giving, neither of which he’s good at.





	Fa La La Love

**Author's Note:**

> Just a little something for the holidays before I head out on vacation. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays y'all!

**_I don't want a lot for Christmas…_ **

Keith’s eyes flutter open in his still pitch black bedroom. He’s shut the blinds as tight as they’ll go and drawn the curtains so not a single microscopic hint of light can get through.

**_There's just one thing I need_ **

The music coming from the other side of the wall is muffled, but he knows exactly what it is and his lips curl into a tight scowl. She’s like fucking clockwork.

**_I don't care about the presents_ **

Speaking of clocks, he glares at his on the nightstand. A neon digital 9:45AM stares back at him. It’s too fucking early for this.

**_Underneath the Christmas tree_ **

He lays there for a moment, wondering, praying almost, that if he just waits a minute or two it’ll stop.

**_I just want you for my own_ **

Nope.

**_More than you could ever know_ **

He rolls over onto his back, running his fingers through his hair before dragging them down his face in exasperation.

**_Make my wish come true_ **

He drags himself out of bed and staggers toward the door, stubbing his foot on his desk and nearly tripping over his guitar on the way out.

“Fuck!”

**_All I want for Christmas_ **

It’s lighter in the rest of his apartment, sun spilling through the windows and he winces, hisses like a vampire in daylight. His trusty husky Kosmo sleeps on the couch. His ears perk up at the sound of his master, but he doesn’t move. He throws open the front door and walks the literal five feet to the door next to his and rings the bell multiple times.

**_Is you_ **

“Morning Keith!” Allura beams and for a moment Keith can’t fathom how the hell she’s this awake, this chipper this early in the morning. The song from earlier is now in full swing and comes pouring out of her apartment as she opens the door.

She stands in the doorway wearing an oversized black ugly Christmas sweater that says “Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe” in bold red letters with a mistletoe and downwards arrow graphic expertly placed right at the waist area. Keith, in contrast, is shirtless in grey sweatpants that have seen better days and when he reads her sweater he suddenly feels the space in said pants close in significantly. He clears his throat and gets back on task.

“Allura” he starts, voice raspy and gruff.

That’s all he has to say. She already knows because they’ve already had this conversation before, since December 1st in fact, and when she realizes her eyes go wide and she bolts away to turn the music down.

“Sorry! I know the rules I just forgot!” She pouts and her eyes get puppyish in that annoying way he can’t help but forgive. He’s not sure why he thought even for a moment that he was going to come over here and give her a piece of his mind.

“Thank you.” He sighs and goes to leave back to his apartment, but she reaches out and snatches his arm.

“Actually while you’re here I got you something! I couldn’t help myself!”

She yanks him inside and he nearly stumbles she pulls so hard. The inside of her apartment looks like Santa vomited all over it: decorations everywhere, numerous lit candles that smell like gingerbread and apple pie and a fully decked out tree with wrapped presents under it.

“Allura I told you I don’t do the Christmas stuff.”

“I know but it’s never too late to start!”

She hands him a shopping bag and he takes it reluctantly, pulling out a red sweater that says “On the Naughty List” in white.

“Oh…” is all he can muster.

“Do you love it?” She blinks expectantly, hopefully.

“It’s, uh, well it’s…”

“Try it on!”

He does so, again reluctantly. He can’t tell her no for shit. He tugs it over his head which smoothes down his birds nest of hair

“Well? How does it fit?”

“It’s great, thanks” he mumbles quickly. It’s a bit big but he doesn’t complain.

Allura clasps her hands together elatedly.

“I got you something else but you don’t get it until Christmas.” She wags her finger at him.

“Lu I told you I-”

“I know I know but we’ve been neighbors for a long while now and we’ve spent a lot of time together and I’d like to think that we’re friends. We’re friends aren’t we?”

“Of course we’re friends Lu.” He smiles softly.

“Well friends get each other presents. And you said you aren’t going home for Christmas this year and neither am I since my parents are going on a cruise and my Uncle is going with his wife’s family and I just thought we could spend Christmas together” she rambles nervously.

Keith blinks, his heart simultaneously skipping a beat.

“Y-You want to spend Christmas together?”

Allura nods and nibbles at her lip.

“Can we?”

Moments later Keith is back in his apartment practically diving for his cell phone. He scrolls through his contacts and taps on a name, pacing back and forth in his living room while Kosmo watches lazily, having not moved from the sofa.

“Good morning Keith” a voice chirps from the other end although it’s not the voice of the person he’s called.

“Hey Adam can I talk to Shiro?”

“He’s a bit indisposed at the moment.”

“Gross.”

“Don’t be depraved, he’s making breakfast.”

“Well can I talk to him, or you or both or shit!” He’s frazzled.

There’s a silence on the other end followed by faint talking then suddenly Shiro’s voice is heard, although it sounds a bit distant.

“You’re on speaker phone” Adam announces.

“Hey Keith. Is everything ok? You don’t normally call this early” Shiro says.

“What do you do if a girl says she wants to spend Christmas with you?” he blurts out instantly.

“Hmm, tell her I’m married?”

“Nice one honey.”

“Can you guys be serious?” Keith snaps.

“Who’s asking to spend Christmas with you?”

“A girl ok, it doesn’t matter.”

“Is it that cute neighbor of yours?”

“Cute neighbor?” Adam’s voice perks up.

“Yeah he lives next door to this girl. Gorgeous. Bluest eyes you’ve ever seen in your life. She comes over asking to borrow some tools while I’m visiting and he starts acting like a blushy idiot mess before turning into Mr. Cool Guy and offers to fix whatever it is she needs the tools for.” Shiro rattles on, spilling all of Keith’s business.

“Ooo!”

“DO YOU GUYS MIND?!”

“Sorry sorry. Go on.”

Keith sighs and continues.

“She wants to spend Christmas together and I stupidly said sure cause I’m stupid and she got me a present! So now what do I do?”

“Well if she got you a gift you simply can’t show up empty handed. It’s tacky” Adam advises.

“Agreed.”

“What do I get her?!”

“You know her better than we do. Just get her something thoughtful based on what you know about her.”

“And bring a bottle of wine!” Adam chimes in.

“And brush your damn hair” Shiro adds.

Keith pinches his nose and curses them under his breath.

“Anything else you need help with?”

“No,” Keith grumbles, “I’m hanging up.”

“Are you going to stuff her stocking?” Shiro jokes in that deadpan voice of his and Adam snorts.

“I’M HANGING UP.”

Keith continues his anxious pacing before standing and staring at Kosmo with his hands on his hips.

“What the hell am I gonna get her?”

Kosmo just looks up at his master, yawns, then lays his head down and shuts his eyes. Useless.

Keith showers and then calls for reinforcements.

“So what do girls even like?” Keith asks, overwhelmed and stressed in a department store.

“Uh, I don’t even know how to begin answering that for you.” Pidge shrugs and adjusts her glasses.

“But you’re a girl aren’t you?”

“We like different things idiot.” Pidge kicks the back of his leg as she follows him around. “Do you know what she likes?”

“I don’t know, I guess. She likes sparkly things, and makeup, and clothes but she also likes DnD? She loves to read and watch movies, and bake even though she’s not great at it. She has mice that she likes to knit things for. She takes a kick boxing class. Oh and she also-”

“Damn Keith I didn’t ask for her biography. Also, I thought you said she was your friend.”

“She is my friend.”

“You don’t talk about her like she’s just your friend. Hunk is my friend but I don’t know his entire life story including his blood type.”

“I don’t know her blood type.”

Pidge’s eyes narrow on him until he nervously looks away.

“It’s type O but that’s beside the point. She said she was getting me something so I’m just trying not to look like an asshole. That’s all.”

“Hmm, well jewelry is too forward for…a friend, and clothes are weird if you’re not sure of her exact size or style preferences, same with makeup.” Pidge strokes her chin trying to think.

Keith sighs, pondering himself. Then the light bulb goes off. He snatches Pidge’s hand and drags her off, finally knowing what to get.

When he returns home after the little excursion, swearing he’ll never step foot in a mall during the holidays again, there’s a note that’s been slipped under his door.

 

_Kosmo was barking up a storm so I came and got him so as not to disturb anyone else_

_I hope you don’t mind_

_xo Lu_

They had swapped keys to their place ages ago in case of emergencies as well as pet sitting while the other was out of town so an action such as this was not out of the ordinary. Keith nods, places the shopping bag and the note on the coffee table and heads to Allura’s. When she opens the door more Christmas music is bumping.

“Wait till you see what I did!” She steps back and lets him inside. “Come here baby boy!” she calls out.

Keith is suddenly jealous that his dog gets talked to with more affection.

Kosmo slinks into view in a reindeer costume, which to be fair is nothing more than antlers strapped to his head and a jingle bell collar.

Keith is no longer jealous of the dog.

“Isn’t he precious! And look!” She runs to her small little dining table and grabs two more pairs of antlers.

“No.”

“Keith.”

“No!”

“Keeeeeith” she whines. “Just for a picture. Pleeeeeeeeeease.” She bounces with her bottom lip poked out.

Keith sighs and stands still as she fits it snuggly on his head. Blushing as she suddenly cups his face in her hands.

“You’re just so cute I could eat you up” she says but her tone is different. It’s less mocking or teasing and more serious, more soft. Her fingers slowly slip away from his cheeks and she goes to get her phone.

He takes a deep breath hoping that’ll slow his heart rate and goes to sit beside Kosmo.

“Whadda think boy?” Keith asks and Kosmo replies by trying to swipe the headpiece off with his paw.

“Yeah…me too” he mutters under his breath.

Allura joins them, sitting on the other side of Kosmo, antlered up and holds her phone out.

“Say cheese!”

Keith leans over, one arm slung around the pup and she takes the selfie.

“One more and smile this time!”

Keith gives a half close mouthed sort of smirk. That’s the best she’s gonna get.

She looks at her phone screen zooming in and smiles.

“So cute.”

“Are we done here?” he asks, ready to rip his antlers off.

“Maybe one more…”

Allura takes a moment to free Kosmo from his festive prison and he runs away the second she takes it off. She then closes the distance and leans in beside Keith so close their cheeks touch. The first picture comes out poorly as Keith looks startled and his mouth is hanging open. The second one is much much better.

“I love it.” She grins. “Want me to send these to you?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“So what time do you want to do Christmas?”

“Noon?”

“That’s so late!”

“Well what time were you thinking?”

“Eight?”

“You’ve lost your damn mind.” He pulls off the headband.

“Nine?”

“Eleven.”

“Ten?”

“10:30.”

“10:30!”

Keith nods in confirmation and gets up.

“Well I got some stuff to do. Thanks for watching Kosmo.”

Upon hearing his name, the dog immediately runs to Keith’s side. Normally he doesn’t mind being watched by Allura, but not when she has costumes for him to wear. That’s where he draws the line.

“No problem.” She gets up to see them to the door. “See you soon!”

“See you.”

Keith spends the next few days leading up to Christmas in agony. Not necessarily out of dread, but of nervousness. Every time he walks past her poorly wrapped gift on the coffee table he wonders if he made the right choice. Pidge reassured him at least twenty times that Allura will probably love it, and even Shiro and Adam gave it their seal of approval but he’s still doubtful.  He lays in bed on Christmas Eve with knots in his stomach when his phone lights up.

 

_10:37 PM_

_ONE MORE SLEEP TIL SANTA!!!_

_10:37 PM_

_You know santa isn’t real right?_

_10:38 PM_

_Keep it up and you’ll get coal in your stocking_

_10:38 PM_

_I’m already on the naughty list remember?_

_10:38 PM_

_Aren’t you even a little excited for tomorrow? I am. I can’t wait to see you._

 

There goes his heart thumping again. _I can’t wait to see you?_ What the hell does that mean? He holds his phone over his face and stares at the message. He exits out of their text thread and starts a new message.

 

_10:46 PM_

_What does it mean when a girl says she can’t wait to see you?_

_10:49 PM_

_Are you serious right now?_

_10:49 PM_

_HUMOR ME_

_10:50 PM_

_It means she wants to see you_

_10:50 PM_

_But in a friend way or a more than friend way?_

_10:51 PM_

_If I tell you it means she wants to touch your dick can I go to sleep?_

_10:51 PM_

_SHIRO_

_10:52 PM_

_Look, she could have asked to spend Christmas with anyone else and she chose you. She picked out a gift for you before you two even agreed to spend the holiday together and now she’s telling you she can’t wait to see you. Keith I know you’re a smart boy._

 

He was a smart boy but when it came to Allura it often felt like he could barely rub two brain cells together to form coherent thought.

 

_10:54 PM_

_I’m gonna tell her I can’t wait to see her too. I’m doing it._

_10:55 PM_

_Oh thank heavens I wasn’t going to be able to sleep in anticipation._

_10:55 PM_

_You’re kind of an ass you know that?_

_10:56 PM_

_Goodnight Keith :)_

Keith switches back over to his conversation with Allura and, with fingers trembling, tells her he can’t wait to see her either. Well technically it’s a “me too” with a smile emoji, but same thing. He’s not sure how long he’s waited. It feels like an eternity.

(An eternity, as it turns out = four minutes)

When her message pops up with a “yay!” and a kissy face emoji Keith concludes that it’s probably a good thing and that it’s best he not text Shiro to interpret for him. He looks at the pictures they took together days before one more time before putting the phone down on his night stand and goes to sleep feeling a bit more confident.

When his alarm wakes him in the morning he rolls out of bed and drags himself into the bathroom to look more presentable.

Brush teeth and mouth wash? Check.

Brush hair but make it look purposely messy? Check.

Cologne? Just a tiny spritz.

He changes his clothes, having already showered the night before, grabs the bottle of wine Adam suggested he bring, her gift and goes next door with Kosmo.

“You’re here!” Allura yelps as soon as she opens the door. She has on a white over the shoulder sweater and jeans, hair curled, light makeup. She looks beautiful. “And you wore the sweater I gave you!”

 “Yeah.” He smiles sheepishly.

She immediately throws her arms around his neck in a hug. She’s warm and she smells good.

“Merry Christmas Keith!”

“Merry Christmas Lu.”

She finally pulls back and holds onto his arm.

“Do you wanna do breakfast first or presents?”

“There’s breakfast?”

He thought he smelled food.

She takes that as a hint that he’d like to eat first and begins setting the table with Kosmo following close behind hoping she’ll take pity and offer some scraps from the kitchen. Keith tells her not to spoil him but when he’s not looking she slips Kosmo and entire slice of bacon.

“Merry Christmas” she whispers.

After breakfast they sit on the couch, presents for each other in their laps .

“Do you wanna go first or should I go first?”

“Open mine first.” Allura looks nervous as she shoves the box at him.

Keith hesitates a moment then tears the paper and bows off and peels off the lid.

“Allura…” he says softly as he pulls out a large leather sketchbook.

“I know you really like to draw so I figured you’d like having something nice to take around with you so you can draw whenever the inspiration hits you,” she starts to explain, “and I got some nice charcoal pencils too and some pens and colored pencils.”

He slowly runs his fingers over the cover.

“Do you like it?” She looks almost worried.

“Yeah Lu this is amazing, thank you…” He looks at her to see her expression ease up.

This is nice. Too nice. He doesn’t want to give her his present now. It doesn’t even compare. She goes to reach for it and he grabs her hand.

“Hmm?”

“Uh, it’s not ready!”

He tries to remove it and she has to nearly wrestle it out of his grasp.

“Please don’t it’s dumb.”

“I’m sure it isn’t.”

It’s a smaller box than the one she gave him and not even remotely as prettily wrapped. She pulls away the brown craft paper and string and yanks the lid off. It’s a box of velvet ribbons in various colors.

“Well, I mean, see your hair is really nice and long,” he rambles, “and you’re always doing neat things with it and I figured you’d like something pretty to decorate it with.”

He avoids her eyes as she stares him down. He’s embarrassed. It was a stupid idea. She hates it, she has to. She’s cupping the side of his face and turning it toward her. Her lips are on his. Wait…what? Hold on.

He blinks a few times after she pulls back.

“D-Did I miss something?”

“I love them, thank you.” She begins to pull half of her hair up, combing it with her fingers into a high ponytail.

“Allura…”

She fastens it with a hair band and then chooses the red ribbon to tie in her hair, looping it into a bow.

“Allura!”

“Yes?”

“You, you kissed me.”

“I suppose I did, didn’t I?” She chuckles and looks at the rest of the ribbons.

“Why?”

She sits up straight, takes a deep breath, and looks at him.

“Because I like you. I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while and I didn’t know how and then when you said you were sticking around for Christmas well I…I shouldn’t have kissed you. That was awfully forward. I don’t know what came over me.”

She laughs nervously then gets up.

“I made cookies, would you like one? They don’t look how the recipe said they would. They’re supposed to be candy canes but they look more like snakes, but they’re edible!” She tries to change the subject.

Keith grabs her by the wrist to hold her in place while he stands. He snakes one hand through her hair and rests it on her neck while the other grips at her waist, pulling her in.

“Keith…” she says almost in a whisper before he kisses her back.

When they separate after a while they’re all embarrassed giggles.

“Do you like your present? Honestly?” Keith asks.

“Yes. It’ll be like you’re with me all day whenever I wear one.”

“Cool.” He smirks, trying not to let a grin take over his face. “Now show me these cookies.”

She wasn’t kidding. It’s pretty bad. They look like melted bleeding snakes.

“I tried.” She pouts.

“Did you?” He jokes.

She slaps his arm before threatening to take the ribbon out and throw it in the trash. He captures her arms and brings them down at her sides.

“Hey Lu?”

“Hmm?”

“This whole Christmas thing isn’t so bad. Kinda like it.”

Her face lights up.

“Does this mean we can get pictures with Santa at the mall next year?!”

He smiles before giving her another soft tender kiss, resting his forehead against hers when he’s done.

“…Hell no.”


End file.
